Manual reset mechanical time actuated fluid valve



p 1956 A. s. HANCOCK, JR 2,761,501

MANUAL RESET MECHANICAL TIME ACTUATED FLUID VALVE Filed May 25, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l 2/ i l l 69 I 7, I6 3/ 5 /7 t 2 2 3 l l I #1 567 38 6 1 23 I 25 A4 I INVENTOR. fiVe/v J fld/Ka/K/E f7 7'7'ORNE Y p 4, 1956 A. s. HANCOCK, JR 1.

MANUAL RESET MECHANICAL TIME ACTUATED FLUID VALVE Filed May 23, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

FTTORNEY 2,761,50i Patented Sept. 4, 1956 MANUAL RESET MECHANICAL TIME ACTUATED FLUID VALVE Albert S. Hancock, Jr., Orange City, Iowa Application May 23, 1952, Serial No. 289,628

3 Claims. (Cl. 161-7) My invention relates to a mechanical time control valve for fluids.

An object of my invention is to provide a device which includes a mechanically operated and manually reset time control mechanism usable in connection with any fluid supply pipe whereby the time and valve mechanism can be set manually, the time mechanism being set for any pre-determined time so that after the pre-determined time has elapsed, the fluid supply will be shut 011, and during such time, the fluid supply will flow.

A further object of my invention is to provide a simple and compact arrangement which can be made of a minimum size and which can be readily attached to fluid supply systems of various types, such as water systems, or other systems requiring such a control.

A further object of my invention is to provide a certain valve mechanism requiring a very small amount of force to operate, thus permitting the use of a mechanical time mechanism arrangement.

A further object of my invention is to provide a simple valve mechanism, yet which is positive in operation, and to provide an efliciently operating valve which will close in a fairly gradual manner, thereby not involving the objectionable water hammer due to abruptly closing valves.

A further object of my invention is to provide an arrangement which can be easily and readily set to the predetermined interval.

A further object of my invention is to provide an easily assembled device which is relatively small in volume, thereby providing a lighter Weight unit and having very few parts, and to provide a unit having practically all of the operating elements inside thereof, thereby not including projecting elements.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of my device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a plan view of the device taken substantially along the lines 11 of Figure 2,

Figure 2 is a sectional view 'of Figure 1 taken substantially along the lines 22 thereof,

Figure 3 is a sectional view of Figure 2 taken substantially along the lines 3-3 thereof,

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the lines 4-4 of Figure l, and

Figure 5 is a detail of the trigger unit showing the spring thereof in separated position.

My invention contemplates the provision of a simple attachment using a manually set, mechanically operated time control mechanism whereby the arrangement can be attached to fluid supply pipes, and whereby thepas sage of fluid can be controlled so that the said fluid will flow only during a pre-determined and pre-set time interval beginning at the time of setting, and with the 2 fluid supply being shut off and maintained in the shut off position until re-set.

I have used the character 10 to designate the cylindrical side wall of a casing having a bottom wall 1'1, and I have used the character 12 to indicate the lid of a preset time mechanism, the mechanism itself being indicated generally by the character 13, and attached to this mechanism is the dial 14 having a series of radially positioned markings thereon, the character 15 indicating a control knob for re-setting the mechanism 13, the inner details of such mechanism not being shown hereinsince they are well-known in .the art, except that the actuating hammer 16 of the mechanism is shown to show its cooperation with the present invention, the hammer being attached by a suitable bar 117 to the mechanism.

In order to clarify the understanding of my invention, as shown in Figure 2, .the member '15 is pointing substantially to the zero mark of the dial 1-4, and has not quite reached the zero mark. In other words, the mechanism has been p-re-set by rotating the member 1 5 to the desired arc, which member 15 then slowly returns to the position shown in Figure 2, to trip the proper elements, which will be described, to shut otf the fluid supply.

Attached integrally beneath the casing wall 11 is an inlet boss 18 (see Figure 3) having the outer end 1-9, and having the inner threaded portion '20 for the reception of any type of pipe 21. Also, extending integrally from the bottom wall 11 is a further projecting portion 22 having the exterior threads 23 and interior threads 24 suitably engaged with the further pipe or tube 25. The pipe 21 thereby provides the inlet opening and the pipe 25 the outlet opening of the arrangement.

The pipes 21 and 25 communicate with the tubular portions 26 and 27 respectively, these portions communicating with the further semi-circular openings :28 and 29, the semi-circular shape of these openings being shown in Figure 2.

Extending at right angles to the portions 18 and 22 are the further portions 30 and 31, and threadably engaging the portion 311 at 32 is a cap '33 hearing against a gasket 34.

Bearing against the cap 83 at 35 is a helical compression spring 36 which bears against the end 37 of a longitudinally movable valve member 38, the valve member 38 including the integrally formed annular rings 39 and 40, these rings being provided in pairs, and received between each of these pairs are the two rubber or other suitable material rings or gasket members 41 and 42.

The valve rod 38 is adapted to pass within the cylindrical tubular portion '43, the portion 43 being slightly smaller in diameter than its contiguous further portion 44 extending therefrom.

The portion 30 includes a wall 45 having a closely fitting opening 46 through which the member 38 passes, and the member 38 includes the annular groove 47 formed therein, the member 38 also passing through a further opening 48 at the end of the portion 30, the member 38 terminating in the reduced portion '49 to which is attached at '50 the button 51.

The portion 30 also'includes a compressed well or cavity '52 (see Figure 4) having the wall 53, and having the small shoulder '54, thereby providing a reduced space at 55.

The latch or trigger member of my device is indicated generally by the character 56 and is preferably made of fairly thin fiat sheet metal, the trigger 5e havingthe sloping edge 57 and the pointed portion 58 adapted to rest against the shoulder 54 as shown in Figure 4, the member 56 including a lip 59 bent at right angles thereto and including a further lip 69 bent at right angles thereto, the lip 60 being bent from the further portion 61, the

3 being an integral continuation of the member ending substantially at right angles thereto;

Lie member 56 further includes the edge 62, it being noted that the trigger 56 extends a certain distance above the wall 11 where it can then be actuated by the pre-set time mechanism.

The lips 59 and 64) provide means wherein the trigger 56 will operate within the well or cavity 52 without any tendency for becoming displaced from a position directly at right angles with the member 38 due to the fact that the lips 59'and 60 will substantially occupy the width of the cavity 52.

For providing the necessary spring tension against the trigger member 56, I provide a spring element which is made of suitable spring wire having the coiled portion at 63, the coiled portion 63 terrninatnig in the portions 64 and 65, which portions have the outwardly bent e?- trernities 66. The positioning of the trigger element 55 is clearly shown in Figure 4, and it will be noted that the coil 63 of the spring is placed over the lip 59, and the portion 65 of the spring is slightly bent during insertion of the trigger mechanism, with the lower end 66 abutting against the clip 60, whereas the further extremity 66 of the portion 64 of the spring abuts at 67 against the wall 68 of the cavity 52, it thus being noted that the trigger 56 is thus spring urged directly into the groove 47 when the groove is in this position.

The device operates in the following manner. The knob 15. is first rotated in the direction of the arrow 69 (see Figure l) to the pro-determined time internal in which it is desired to have the liquid flow, which automatically starts the mechanism and cocks the hammer 16 ready for action, the mechanism and knob then beginning to start in the reverse direction, the hammer 16, however, remaining cocked. The button 51, which is in the closed position, shown by the dotted lines in Figure 3, is then forced inwardly just after the control knob 15 is set, which correspondingly causes the gaskets 41 and 42 to occupy the position shown in Figure 3, and which allows the fluid to flow from the pipe 21; through the opening 28, around the valve member 38, through the opening 29 and thence through the outlet pipe 25.. The flow or" the fluid is thereby unrestricted, and will pass freely, with the gaskets 41 and 42 also sealing the mechanism against leakage of fluid at either end of the valve member 33.

It will be noted that the spring 36 by'thi'saction has been compressed and that the trigger '56 will be spring urged by means of the spring elements '64, 65, etc., directly into the groove 47, thereby locking the valve member 38.

As soon as the pre-determiued time interval has elapsed, the hammer 16 will be actuated and will strike in the direction of the arrow 70 in Figure 1, thereby abutting against the portions 62 of the trigger 56, and disengaging the trigger 56 from the groove 47. This will cause the valve 38 to be released, the pressure of the spring 36 carrying the valve to the dotted position shown in Figure 3. i

It will be noted from Figure 3 that due to the fact that both gaskets 41 and 42 enter the reduced diameter portion 43, the effect will be to provide a cushion due to the air pressure escaping slowly through the opening 46, thereby eliminating the water hammer or jarring effect of the fluid. The semicircular openings 28 and 29 also provide a more uniform passage of fluid at the instant the valve is opened, thereby preventing an abrupt passage thereof.

It will be obvious that the trigger member 56 can be easily installed by merely placing it in the cavity 52 together with the spring elements 64, 65, etc., when assembling the device, and it will be noted that the other portions of the device are also easily manufactured and assembled, and that the device can be made in a very compact form of light construction.

It will also be noted that the trigger member 56, with its extending lips 59 and 60, will remain in positive position without angularity, and will thereby provide a positive action at all times.

It will now be seen that I have provided the various advantages set forth in the objects of my invention with various other advantages being readily apparent.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my invention without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims anymodified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

l. A mechanical spring operated control valve for fluids comprising a valve body, means for attaching said valve body to a fluid supply source, a valve in said valve body, means for causing said valve to remain open during a predetermined time interval including a manually spring loaded preset time mechanism cooperant with said valve, a casing attached to said valve body, said preset time mechanism enclosed within said casing, a trigger member for releasing said valve actuated by said pre-set mechanism, said valve having an annular groove therein in which said trigger member is received when said valve is in open position, said valve body having an opening through which said trigger member projects, said valve body further having a cavity receiving said trigger member, a spring member for urging said trigger member within said groove, means for maintaining said trigger member in a constant position at right angles to said valve member at all times including lips extending from said trigger member substantially of the same width as said cavity, said spring member including a coiled portion receiving one or said lips, and including further portions, one of which is received against the other of said lips, and the other of which bears against an end wall of said cavity.

2. A mechanical spring operated control valve for fluids comprising a valve body, means for attaching said valve body to a fluid supply source, a valve in said valve body, means for causing said valve to remain open during a pre-determined time interval including a manually spring loaded pre-set time mechanism cooperant with said valve, a casing attached to said valve body, said preset time mechanism enclosed within said casing, a trigger member for releasing said valve actuated by said preset mechanism, said valve having an annular groove therein in which said trigger member is received when said valve isin open position, said valve body having an opening through which said trigger member projects, said valve body further having a cavity receiving said trigger member, a spring member for urging said trigger member within said groove, means for maintaining said trigger member in a constant position at right angles to said valve member at all times including lips extending from said trigger member substantially of the same width as said cavity, said spring rnember including a coiled portion receiving-one of said lips, and including further portions, one of which is received against the other of said lips, and the other of which bears against an end wall of said cavity, said valve body including inlet and outlet openings communicating to said valve, further semi-circular openings communicating with said openings.

3. A mechanical spring operated control valve for fluids comprising a valve body, means for attaching said valve body to a fluid supply source, a valve in said valve body, means for causing said valve to remain open during a pre-determined time interval including a manually spring loaded pre-set time mechanism cooperant with saidvalve, a casing attached to said valve body, said pre-set *time mechanism enclosed Within said casing, a trigger member for releasing said valve actuated by said pre-set mechanism, said valve having an annular groove therein in which said trigger member is received when said valve is in open position, said valve body having an opening through which said trigger member projects, said valve body further having a. cavity receiving said trigger member, a spring member for urging said trigger member within said groove, means for maintaining said trigger member in a constant position at right angles to said valve member at all times including lips extending from said trigger member substantially of the same width as said cavity, said spring member including a coiled portion receiving one of said lips, and including further portions, one of which is received against the other of said lips, and the other of which bears against an end wall of said cavity, said valve body including inlet and outlet openings communicating to said valve, further semi-circular openings communicating with said openings, said valve including annular gasketing members attached thereto, a cylindrical valve member in which said valve reciprocates, the space between said gasketing members providing passage of fiui'd therebetween, said cylindrical valve member having a slightly reduced portion whereby said gasketing members will provide an air cushion during release of said valve to closed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,551,445 Lindsay et al May 1, 1951 2,599,151 Baldwin June 3, 1952 2,671,461 Hebert Mar. 9, 1954 

